CHENNAI: With the 12th edition of Indian Premier League set to start on March 23 in Chennai, former India speedster and bowling coach of Chennai Super Kings (CSK), L Balaji is upbeat that his team can defend the title.
His confidence stems from the fact that the MS Dhoni-led side has the right blend of experience and youth in its ranks. A majority of core players will be joining the pre-season camp — which began on March 6 —on Saturday. In an exclusive chat with Express, the former Tamil Nadu captain opens up on the team's bench strength and the variety in their attack and other things. Excerpts:
How do you fancy CSK's chances of defending the title?
Very good. We will play the same brand of cricket. For us, every season is a new season. We do not wish to live in our past glory. We will play our best, start on a winning note and then carry forward the momentum into the tournament. We are all in a good frame of mind.
What do you think is the team's strength?
We have a very balanced side with a good mixture of experience and youth. Our team ticks all the boxes and all the departments are covered by capable players. Our strength is having a good set of players on the bench. We have the necessary resources in case a player gets injured.
Your thoughts on the team's batting resources.
We have a lot of depth in our batting. The good thing is that they can adapt and play any role. We have guys to exploit the powerplay overs, marshal the middle-overs and play the finisher's role. Adaptability is also our strength.
You have a good variety in attack. Do you think there is a problem of plenty?
(Smiles) We have a good attack that is experienced. None of them are new to the IPL. Everyone understands their role and they know what to do in a given situation. So when you have quality players, it is difficult to pick the attack. The selection will depend on the conditions and the opposition.
Are you in favour of wrist spinners or finger spinners?
I do not have a fixed mindset. Finger spinners can deceive the batsmen with their flight in the air and also beat them with the arc. So they (finger spinners) are handy. Wrist spinners too have their own craft. Whoever suits the team's requirements, will play.
How important is the middle-overs given that many teams concentrate just on powerplay and death overs?
According to me, the entire 20 overs is like playing the powerplay. Every over is important in T20s. If one over goes wrong, the match is as good as over. It is difficult to make a comeback. So one has to plan and see to it that every over goes according to plans and take timely measures then and there.
Dwayne Bravo is known for his exceptional bowling at the death. Who else do you think can handle that job?
Bravo is an experienced bowler but you should not expect him to do all the work. If he has an off day, you need to have guys to do the job. No one (bowler) can say that I will bowl only at the beginning or at the end. We need to have multiple options. So our job is to prepare the bowlers to take up any role.
Tell us how MS Dhoni uses his bowlers. Does he go by instinct or by plans?
Difficult question. Sometimes both or just by instinct. He has a good understanding of the bowlers' abilities. He is someone who reads the situation shrewdly. Depending upon the situation, he uses his bowlers.. sometimes he doesn't give (mainstream) bowlers their full quota of four overs. In T20s, you cannot always go by plans. You have to go by (your) instinct also and Dhoni, with his experience, is the best at doing it.
How does the team handle pressure situations? Does being the defending champions mean extra pressure?
We are used to it (handling pressure). Everyone has experience of playing in T20s, so we can handle the job (better). But the main thing that helps us as a team is the clarity of mind. All of us try to complement each other and the bonding helps us handle pressure. Plus, the support of fans.
What does Stephen Fleming as a coach bring to the table?
It's wonderful to have him around. He is open to ideas and inputs. As a bowling coach, it helps me. Plus, having captained a side before, he has good leadership skills and knows how to bring out the best from the players. He knows how to put across things in a subtle yet effective manner.